Halloween 2001, or when History Repeats Itself
by themis.ceres
Summary: Halloween 1981 ended in tragedy for everyone involved, will halloween twenty-one years later be any different?


**Halloween 2001**

**October 31:**

Draco felt the tell tail signs of exhaustion creep into his peripheral feeling. Shoving the feeling aside he continued to push his feet against the pavement. Panic had filled his chest and was pushing all other feeling aside.

He had to reach them.

_"Yea, I heard they're back at Godric's Hollow. Poor dumb bastards."_

_Draco had been in the Leaky Cauldron, coming down off a rather loud domestic, biding his time until he could go home._

_"He always was too sentimental."_

_Slowly replacing his butterbeer on the frayed cardboard coaster Draco turned his head to see to whom those two voices belonged. Fear had iced his veins but his rational mind, sounding an awful lot like his wife, tried to assure the rest of him that he was just being paranoid._

_One of he big burly men sitting at the counter snorted. _

_"Or he should have just chosen a Secret Keeper who could hold his liquor better." _

_Both men chuckled heavily._

_Draco swallowed the growing lump in his throat. He wanted to run, jump, attack but some instinct left over from the war made him stay firmly seated in the shadows._

_"What are they planning?" A heavy clunk followed the loaded question. Both men lowered their voices and Draco unconsciously leaned forward to hear them better._

_"Same as the last time." _

_The other man nodded._

_"Good riddance."_

The next thing he could remember was finding himself at the entrance of Godric's Hollow where he began to run. From the entrance of the village to the Potter's house was a seven-minute run. He couldn't remember the number of times he had raced it with the guys. Seven minutes.

He made it in five.

But even as he reached their gate he knew it was too late.

With tears streaming down his face Draco kicked in the wooden fence he had helped build.

The front door was open several inches and the dark lump that obscured his view of the baseboard confirmed his worst fears. Bursting in Draco threw himself down over his best friend's body.

The green eyes that in life had sparkled constantly were now dull and opaque. Draco shook the wizard's collar roughly before scooping the dead man into his lap.

After a few moments his wartime resolve returned and wiping his eyes he reached up and closed his friend's lifeless lids. Murmuring a levitating charm Draco left his friend resting four and a half feet in the air and climbed the set of stairs immediately to his right.

The second door on the right had been split open.

Leaning against the doorframe Draco sighed. Her beautiful face was covered in red. Brushing her thick hair back he was relieved to see that her eyes were already closed. He doubted that she screamed. She had never been one for tears. He pulled his fingers away from her pale face.

A hiccup broke his silent reverie.

Holding himself stock still Draco refused to hope as he waited for the noise to repeat itself. Fear and relief warred within him before adrenaline finally pushed him over the edge. Draco peered cautiously over the top of the wooden structure.

A pair of bright green eyes stared back.

_-hic-_

Draco finally smiled.

It was another hour before Draco Malfoy was able to apparate back to his flat.

Only to find his wife in tears…

Confusion settled over him in a thick haze as she threw herself into his arms. Mindless of he fragile package he held.

"Hermione?"

He gently worked his free hand around so he could gently stroke her hair.

She gave a wet sniff. "B-Blaise came by an hour ago."

Draco's heart seized, he had wanted to break the news of their friends murder to her gently himself.

"He-" She drew in a deep breath. "They found Ron's body."

Draco went rigid. _Ron's body?_

"And, and the Aurors say it was, it was from his own wand!" She began sobbing again and Draco absently patted her back.

Shifting his now ever so more precious cargo Draco steeled himself to move forward.

"Hermione?"

"Mm." She was still nuzzled against his chest.

"I have worse news."

Hermione pulled back form his embrace horrified.

"Worse? Worse? Worse news than one of my best friends bodies being discovered in an apparent suicide even though his wedding was only two weeks away?"

Draco's eyes shut as her high-pitched shrieking grated on his nerves.

Hermione leaned forward and for the first time truly looked at her husband of just over two years.

His clothes were ruffled and his shoulders slouched. Dried tear tracks were visible in the firelight and in his right arm he cradled a small bundle.

Horrified, Hermione was caught between closing the arms length distance between them and running away.

"_What_?"

Draco sighed.

The bundle in his arm began to cry.

And then Hermione just knew.


End file.
